A little addition

If you're on Facebook you've probably already seen the pictures and videos we've posted but if not, we'd like to introduce you to the newest family member!!!

His full name is Chewy Bacca Atkinson the First (don't know why Cayden added the First!)

He's a Shih Tzu puppy we got from a friend!  He is so loved!

Ashlynn is always carrying him around like a baby, and rocking him.  Gwen loves getting chased by him and just giggles all the time!  Maryn and Cayden are still a little nervous but are getting more used to him all the time!  They aren't as snuggly as Ashlynn but sure do love having him around.

Ethan is in heaven and complains that he doesn't get as much time with Chewy as he wants but he'll live and even with his allergies I know they'll be spending a lot of time together! 

Chewy is so funny!  He loves sitting on feet, or right between your feet.  He can also be found sleeping under the kitchen table or just under the kitchen cabinets (as long as there's someone close by!)

He has figured out how to bark but thankfully only barks when he's playing or needs to get up to go out in the mornings.  He's still not a pro at going out to use the bathroom but hopefully he'll get it soon enough! 

Welcome Chewy!!! 

Oma and Opa

I'm a day late with this post but I still wanted to post it and link it with the Family Proclamation Celebration week.

Hattie and Werner VomDorp.  My Great Grandparents!  

They both moved to California from Germany and started our family here in the United States! They were hard workers but always so happy!  I remember Opa with his beautiful Iris garden and almost every other flower he could grow!  He was a fabulous gardener!  Oma was always so sweet and kind.  She made wonderful cookies and always had a smile and a hug!  

Oma and my grandpa Bob

Opa was a huge family historian and did a ton of research on his family line in Germany.  I am so grateful for his passion for family History that he passed on to my mother and all the work the two of them did with it!  It makes it so much fun to read the information about our family!

I'm linking this up with the blog hop at A Well-Behaved Mormon Woman blog!

Happy Happy Birthday!

I can't believe it's been 6 years since this little darling entered our lives!

 With her cute chubby cheeks and little curls we had so much fun with our little girl!

The curls kept coming and she just kept getting cuter!  

Her sweet disposition and kind personality charmed everyone, especially her big brothers!

She's also a wonderful big sister, always willing to let the twins help her and they all play so well together!

She's growing up so quickly!  Looking like quite the young woman!  I'm just glad we have a few more years before she's really in Young Women's! 

She loves learning and going to school!  She makes friends quickly and loves all of them like they are best friends!  She is a sweetheart and we are so lucky to have her in our family! 

Happy Birthday Maryn!  We love you!!!

Memories

 Fourteen years ago my wonderful mother left this world. It's hard to believe it's been that long. I still miss her so much. I'm happy knowing though that she is watching over us and knows how we are doing.  

I'm so grateful for everything she taught me. She taught me to be kind, how to laugh at yourself and how to see the bright side of things. She taught me to be organized and clean though it didn't stick as well as I think she would have liked it to.  She was always so creative and crafty. I'm glad she taught me to sew and crochet and how to enjoy creating beauty.

This is one of the watercolor paintings she did!

 She would get mad at me for this next picture but I remember that show!  She was the "Carol Burnett" cleaning lady at the end of our patriotic road show!  

She dreamed of being a cowgirl!

Opa, Oma, Grandpa Bob, Mom and Brandon

Tim, Andrea, Mom, Annie and Bart at Opa's funeral

Mom always had a great time with her family! We were always laughing!

Grandma, Me and Mom at my High School graduation party

 This was the 4th of July right before the accident.  It was when Travis and I had just started dating!

I am a better person because of her. Thank you mom for everything! I love you tons!

Forgotten....

On the 4th of July we headed to the Hogle Zoo with a bunch of my family and we got there and I took out my camera and I had accidentally left it on all night and the battery was dead!  So, here are the pictures I took on my phone from the zoo and some from Lagoon because it's a little easier to snap a picture with the phone when you're getting ready for the ride to start! :)

At the zoo they had awesome Lego creations!

 Gwen was pushing the button to take the picture and she was a little upset because Ethan snuck in the first picture so we took another one!

 Riding the Carousel!

 The life-size Lego polar bear!

 Emma, Brooklyn and Maryn are like sisters.  They are inseparable whenever we are together!

Lego monkeys 

 Lego penguins

This is kind of random.  This is Chaco.  She's my grandpa's bird that's been around forever!  She finally found a mate but has lost all her feathers!  She's kind of like a colorful vulture!!

Here are just a couple more from our Lagoon adventure!